What The Asylum does

The Asylum is a privately held motion picture production, financing, and worldwide distribution studio founded in 1997 and headquartered in Burbank, California. The studio specializes in low-budget B-movies and 'mockbusters' — films engineered to capitalize on major Hollywood releases — and operates across action, horror, creature feature, disaster, and science fiction genres. Over 29 years, The Asylum has built a catalog of more than 677 film titles, anchored by the Sharknado franchise (six theatrical sequels plus animated and documentary spin-offs), the Mega Shark creature series, the five-season original TV series Z Nation, and recurring mockbuster lines including War of the Worlds, Transmorphers, and dinosaur/prehistoric creature films. Recent release cadence shows continued throughput with titles such as Shark Thrash, The Mummy, Jurassic Reborn, Morgan: Killer Doll, and Alien Discovery Day launched in 2025-2026.

The studio's core technology and production capability is low-budget film production, supplemented by a small team (11-50 employees) operating under a rapid-turnaround production model. The product portfolio functions as a collection of distinct sub-brand franchises rather than a unified platform architecture; monetization occurs through one-time license deals to streaming platforms (including via Cineverse's Matchpoint platform and Connected TV app deployment), TV networks, home video retailers, and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store at store.theasylum.cc. Distribution is worldwide and multi-channel.

The business model is licensing-driven: The Asylum retains ownership of its IP and generates revenue through per-title and per-territory licensing arrangements, complemented by direct-to-consumer sales and a nascent line of commissioned live-action promotional content for gaming studios (e.g., the Dave the Diver: In the Jungle short film produced for Mintrocket). Go-to-market is sales-led, with dedicated domestic and international sales contacts and earned media coverage from trade outlets (Deadline, Screen Daily, Bloody Disgusting, JoBlo). Customer segments split between horizontal distribution to streaming/home video consumers and a smaller vertical serving gaming studios seeking promotional assets. No public listings, external funding rounds, or parent company are reported.

Name

The Asylum

Legal name

The Asylum

Website

https://theasylum.cc

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Asylum is a privately held motion picture production and worldwide distribution studio founded in 1997 in Burbank, California. It produces low-budget B-movies, mockbusters, and cult franchises such as Sharknado, licensing its 677+ title catalog to streaming platforms, TV networks, home video retailers, and gaming studios.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Burbank

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Film Production and Licensing: The Asylum produces low-budget B-movies, mockbusters, and the Sharknado franchise, generating revenue through licensing deals with streaming platforms, TV networks, and home video sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

The Asylum is an independent film production and distribution studio that develops, finances, produces, and licenses low-budget B-movies, mockbusters, and cult-genre pictures — including horror, creature features, disasters, and science fiction — under its own label and through signature franchises such as Sharknado, Mega Shark, Transmorphers, War of the Worlds, and the original TV series Z Nation. The studio operates a 677+ title catalog distributed via streaming-platform licensing, home-video retail, and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront, and also produces custom live-action promotional content (e.g., short films for gaming clients).

Product overview

The Asylum is a movie production studio specializing in low-budget B-movies and mockbuster films. The company's core offering is its catalog of 677+ titles spanning action, horror, creature features, disaster films, and science fiction genres. Key product lines include the Sharknado franchise (its signature mockbuster series), the Mega Shark creature series, original Z Nation zombie TV series, dinosaur/prehistoric creature films, disaster films, and War of the Worlds adaptations. The company also produces live-action promotional content and operates an e-commerce store for movie sales. The portfolio operates as a collection of distinct sub-brands/franchises rather than a unified platform architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Asylum Movie Catalog Flagship offering: a catalog of 677+ independent B-movie and mockbuster titles spanning action, horror, creature features, disaster, and science fiction genres. Titles are licensed to streaming platforms, TV networks, and home-video retailers worldwide, and are sold direct via the Asylum's e-commerce store. Known for low-budget productions timed to capitalize on major Hollywood releases.
• Sharknado Franchise Signature mockbuster franchise featuring sharks in tornadoes, with six sequels (Sharknado 2-7), animation spin-off Sharknado Force Five!, documentary Sharknado: Feeding Frenzy, and creature-shark sub-line including Shark Thrash, Shark Frenzy, and Shark Terror. A core licensing and merchandising asset of The Asylum.
• Z Nation TV Series Original zombie-apocalypse television series created by The Asylum as an original intellectual property, spanning 5 seasons with individual episode listings distributed and licensed to TV networks and streaming platforms.
• Live-Action Promotional Short Films Bespoke live-action promotional short-film production service offered to gaming studios and other media clients (example: 10-11 minute short for Mintrocket's Dave the Diver: In the Jungle DLC). Engagements include collaborative storyboard/animatic work and casting approval to align tone with the partner IP.
• The Asylum Store Direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront at store.theasylum.cc selling physical and digital copies of The Asylum's movies, alongside branded merchandise (e.g., Z Nation T-shirts) via third-party storefronts.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• MintrocketminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2026The Asylum partnered with Mintrocket to produce an 11-minute live-action short film for the Dave the Diver: In the Jungle DLC launch. The collaboration involved close coordination on storyboards, animatics, character authenticity, and casting approval.
• Giant PicturesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 October 2025Giant Pictures acquired the documentary 'Mockbuster' about The Asylum for worldwide distribution. The film chronicles director Anthony Frith's experience filming a prehistoric adventure under tight constraints.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Blumhouse Productions: Low-budget horror and genre film producer specializing in high-volume, low-cost genre titles — directly comparable to The Asylum's B-movie production economics and output velocity.
• Roger Corman / New Horizons: The pioneering B-movie studio (now operating via New Horizons) historically defined the low-budget genre production model that The Asylum directly emulates with its mockbuster strategy.
• Saban Films: Independent film distribution company focused on genre and action titles with similar low-to-mid budget positioning and global licensing approach to The Asylum.
• Cineverse (formerly Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment): Independent content distributor specializing in genre and B-movie streaming content via Matchpoint and CTV apps — operates in the same niche distribution lane and is also a current The Asylum licensing partner.
• Full Moon Features: Direct B-movie and horror/sci-fi specialist producing low-budget genre films and direct-to-video content with a similar catalog-driven, cult-leaning business model to The Asylum.

Broad incumbents

• Screen Gems (Sony Pictures): Sony's genre-focused label producing horror and sci-fi titles — overlaps with The Asylum's creature/disaster focus but operates at significantly higher budget and studio scale.
• STX Entertainment: Independent film production and distribution company with similar mid-budget genre and action focus, but with substantially larger capital base and theatrical infrastructure.
• Lionsgate: Major independent studio with a substantial low-budget genre and horror footprint, comparable in catalog breadth and licensing model but operating at vastly greater scale and budget tier.
• IFC Films: Independent film distributor specializing in genre and specialty titles (including IFC Midnight for horror) — comparable distribution model targeting similar genre audiences to The Asylum's catalog.

Emerging players

• Brainstorm Media: Boutique independent film distribution company with genre and B-movie focus, comparable to The Asylum at a smaller scale and serving similar streaming and home video channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theasylumcc
• Facebookfacebook.com/AsylumFilms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/863434

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Asylum